The fourth session of the European Commission-Bangladesh Joint Commission was held in Brussels Wednesday with a view to strengthening cooperation including trade, democracy, good governance, climate change and air service.

The discussion was held in Brussels in line with the Cooperation Agreement of 2001 between Bangladesh and the European Commission, according to an EC statement. Md Aminul Islam Bhuiyan, secretary of the Economic Relations Division, led the Bangladesh delegation to the session.

Awami League acting president Zillur Rahman Wednesday reiterated the demand for immediate release of ailing former prime minister Sheikh Hasina saying her release is the only solution of problem facing the nation, reports UNB.

"Releasing Sheikh Hasina is the only solution of the problems the government faced," said the elderly politician.

The caretaker government is likely to open dialogue with the political parties this month, evidently in their bid to make a breakthrough in the standoff that started following the purge against the ruling politicians of the yesteryear, reports UNB.

"The government is preparing for dialogue with political parties. What kind of discussion, type of format and who are to participate in the dialogue-these are all being discussed by the government.

AFP, BUCHAREST - European leaders kept Georgia and Ukraine waiting at NATO's doorstep Thursday in a major setback for US President George W. Bush at his last summit of the transatlantic alliance.

Inching deeper into what, during the Cold War, had been enemy territory, NATO extended formal invitations to once-communist Albania and Croatia to start negotiations to become the 27th and 28th members of the bloc.

Chief Justice M Ruhul Amin Wednesday said unfairness as well as injustice would not exist in the country if discipline could be maintained strictly at all levels of society, reports agency.

"It is discipline which makes a citizen competent through proper education both at family and institutional levels. And only the educated as well as the scholars can run the state efficiently," he said while addressing a reception at Gopal Chandra Institute (GCI) here.

London-based Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) expects the key lending rate in Bangladesh would average at 15 percent in 2008 as compared to 16 percent in 2007, reports UNB.

In its April report on Bangladesh, the EIU said Bangladesh Bank is expected to maintain an accommodative monetary policy stance during the early part of the forecast period, despite persistent inflationary pressures.

Angry dyeing workers Wednesday put up barricades on Dhaka-Aricha highway and damaged seven vehicles in protest as environment officials cut off electricity and gas connections to three delinquent factories for not installing efflunet-treatment plants, reports UNB.

Police sources said a team of Environment Directorate officials from Dhaka, along with a first-class magistrate, visited some dyeing factories in Majidpur area at about 11:30am and found Pakija Dyeing Ltd, Unlima Dyeing Ltd and Bangladesh Dyeing Ltd having not set up ETP, mandatory under government rules.

The Foreign Ministry of Italy has announced a 5-lakh-euro grant for enhancing food consumption and livelihoods of ultra-poor women in Bangladesh, as the country now reels out of natural disasters, reports UNB.

This financial support would be given through World Food Programme (WFP) under a programme ‘Enhance Food Consumption and Livelihoods of Ultra Poor Women - Vulnerable Group Development in Bangladesh’.

Workers Party of Bangladesh (WPB) Wednesday placed a 16-point recommendation to the government to control the price of essentials and introduce rationing system for low-income group people in rural and urban areas, reports agency.

Placing the recommendations at a press conference at Shaheed Asad Auditorium in the capital, the WPB urged the government to form a Price Control Authority to monitor the market on a regular basis.

President Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed said the government is extremely cautious of applying the emergency in freedom of expression, reports UNB.

“The press remains free,” the President said this when newly appointed non-resident Ambassador designated of Portugal Luis Filipe Carrilho de Castro Mendes presented his credential to him at Bangabhaban Wednesday.

AP, BERLIN -- The dollar rallied against the euro in early Thursday trading as markets seemingly ignored comments the previous day from the U.S. Federal Reserve suggesting the U.S. economy may slip into a recession.

The 15-nation euro was down against the dollar, at $1.5604, compared with $1.5664 in late New York trading. In other currencies, British pound also dipped to $1.9804 from $1.9885 overnight. But the dollar slipped against the Japanese currency, to 102.83 yen from 103.09 yen.